Who is Erica Meg Parkinson, and how she became England's youngest player for 20 years
During the Lionesses' 3-1 away win against Greece in the first leg of their FIFA Women's World Cup European Qualifiers, Erica Meg Parkinson became England's ninth youngest player since records began, but how did she get to this incredible milestone?
Erica Meg Parkinson's incredible milestone for England
Early life and career
Parkinson was born on 18 April 2008 to an English father and a Japanese mother in Singapore, where she played football at a youth level for JSSL Singapore until her family moved to Portugal in 2018, primarily because her brother, Denis Parkinson, got scouted for Porto's academy.
When she was 10 years-old Parkinson played at FC Foz for their seven-a-side U-11 team before joining their main academy team for the 2019/20 season, spending time with the U-13 side.
Then in 2020, Parkinson left FC Foz to go to Leixões, where she played throughout their youth teams from the U-13 team all the way up to the U-16 team.
Senior career
Parkinson's senior career has been a bit of an unconventional journey so far for a player representing England.
At just 14 years of age, Parkinson was given a senior shirt number for Leixões, but she did not make any senior appearances for the club before leaving them in May 2023, still only 15 years-old.
In July 2023, Parkinson joined Valadares Gaia, where it did not take long for her to make her senior debut, with it coming on 3 August 2023 as a substitute in the 85th minute against Damaiense in the 3-0 victory in the Taça de Portugal.
Just two weeks later, she made her league debut on 17 August 2023 in a 2-0 loss against Braga, who coincidentally were the same opponents she faced on her first start for the club, where she scored in the 2-2 draw in the Taça de Liga on 5 October 2023, which she later lost on penalties.
By May 2024, Parkinson was permanently moved to the senior squad at 16 years of age. She then reached the 2024/25 Taça de Liga semi-finals and won the 2024/25 AF Porto Taça. At the end of the season, she was voted the best young player in the 2024/25 league season by members of the Portuguese football players' union.
Parkinson made the decision to leave Valadares Gaia after three seasons at the club, moving to NWSL side North Carolina Courage on 1 July 2026.
This move has seen her play senior football while competing in a top competition against incredible talents such as Sam Kerr and Rose Lavelle at Gotham FC, Trinity Rodman at Washington Spirit, as well as Brazilian legend Marta.
International career
Parkinson is eligible to play for four countries, with those being Japan due to her mother, England because of her dad, Singapore as it is her birth country, and Portugal due to her playing in the youth setup there.
The 18-year-old has previously stated why she chose to represent England, telling the BBC in November 2025: "England were the first country that invited me into the national training centre. They sent a scout out to Portugal to see my games. I was playing with boys at that point. They saw some clips of me online and realised I was half English."
Parkinson has played throughout the England U-16, U-17, U-19, and U-23 teams, where she made her U-23 debut at just 17 years-old. She received her first England senior squad call-up in March 2026 ahead of the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Iceland.
She had to wait, but her debut eventually came in England's 3-1 win against Greece in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup Qualifying Play-Off, where she came on as an 86th-minute substitute, becoming the Lionesses' ninth youngest debutant since records began in 2000.
Following her debut, Parkinson was awarded legacy number 242 by the Women's Football Association. Her international career has only just started, but it is definitely one to keep an eye on.
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